Affric Kintail Way – Day 1

Hello again people and pooches. Joe the Cocker here after returning from another Scottish trail. We decided to hike the Affric Kintail Way at the beginning of February when a short break in the wet and windy weather arrived. The first part of the hike was going to be in wet conditions, but the sections with the most dramatic scenery were forecast to be in cold, sunny, and still conditions.

I didn’t know what to expect of this trip. It was obviously going to be cold as my human had let my fur grow, but I had my paws tidied before we left. He had packed two waterproof fleeces for me, so I was expecting rain. His rucksack was very heavy because he had packed five days wet and dry food for me and lots of treats and chews.

The start of our trip to Scotland consisted of a full days drive to Fort William, followed by a night in the tent on the banks of Loch Linnhe.

We both had a good sleep, only disturbed by the odd strong gust of wind. It rained on and off for most of the night, so when it stopped at around 6:30 am, my human decided to spring into action.

The following day, we drove the ninety minutes to Morvich, where we parked the car in the ‘walkers car park’ by the Jacobite cafe.

We then took the Citylink bus to Drumnadrochit. Citylink doesn’t allow dogs to travel except for Assistance Dogs. I am an Assistance Dog now, so I was allowed to travel with them. After a comfortable snooze, we arrived in Drumnadrochit not long after midday. We were tempted to take another bus to Cannich, but as it was raining, we chose to stay in a B&B for the night.

We were a bit unsure as to how many days we would hike, but after deciding to miss the first stage out, we thought that we would still spend four days hiking. The first stage from Drumnadrochit to Cannich is predominantly through cultivated woodland and along a forestry track. Many people omit this stage and start the trip from Cannich, so this is what we chose to do.

We were sat in a cafe in Drumnadrochit as we drew the attention of a retired couple who had relocated to the area from Derbyshire when they had retired. They enquired of our plans and after a good gab my human told them that we were killing time while we waited for our bus to Cannich. They kindly offered us a lift to Cannich, which we happily accepted.

We arrived at Cannich Village Store at noon, and I waited outside while my human bought a few supplies. Two mountain bikers made a fuss of me while I waited patiently. They said that I was a good boy because I sat outside the shop without being tied to one of the barriers. I think that must have confused me with a mountain bike!

At a crossroads about a hundred yards from the shop, we spotted a sign post leading up a steep lane. It was an eye-opener for the big feller. He complained that his rucksack weighed a ton. A lot of the weight was our food. He had four days of dehydrated meals, snacks, and lunches for himself. My rations consisted of four days of kibble and wet food, plus snacks. He was only carrying a litre of water because there would be plenty of opportunities en route to filter water from burns.

He was out of breath as we reached the Clan Chisholm Memorial, a standing stone overlooking Comar Lodge. The lodge was the former seat of the Clan Chisholm and was built in 1740. We soon left the metalled road to turn left onto a forestry track.

The route levelled out as it headed towards Comar Wood. It was time for me to be set free from my lead. Much mooching and sniffing ensued as I investigated the trail. Meanwhile, my human was fiddling and faffing as he tugged and pulled at what seemed every strap on his Osprey rucksack. After some time and experimentation, he seemed to have made it a comfortable fit.

The walking surface was good for my paws and his size 10’s. It comprised of compacted fine gravel and was relatively flat. So we settled into an easy hike for a while.

The track passes over a few burns, so the opportunity to fill water bottles is quite easy along this section. One lovely spot was at a small bridge over the Allt Innis an Droighinn. My human attempted to pronounce the name of the burn, but I reckon that he failed miserably. I think that he needs to concentrate on the English language before he attempts Gaelic.

Over recent years, a lot of treefelling has been carried out in this area. In some areas, it has created a look of total devastation. In others, it has opened up views across the glens.

As we reached the turning point off the track, we were hit by a downpour. It was a mad panic to put my fleece on and for my human to cover his rucksack. I don’t think that he had spotted the signpost, so I sat by it as he followed me with his hood covering his eyes from the rain. ‘Well spotted, Little Man,’ he mumbled. The singletrack path zig zagged downhill and was nice to be off the forestry track. Albeit for a short stretch.

Predictably, my human let himself down and started to sing. ‘Why Does it Always Rain on Me?’ My question is, why does he always insist on singing? He can’t sing. He simply can’t!!

Everybody who walks this trail seems to photograph the gated tunnel in the hillside. So, my human followed suit. What is it? Where does it go?

We reached Dog Falls at around 4 pm, and fortunately, the rain had eased off. There was about an hour of daylight remaining, so we looked for a suitable place to pitch the tent.

Dog Falls is rather a series of rapids than a waterfall but is a popular tourist attraction with a fairly large carpark. The entrance sign states that overnight stays and camping are not allowed. The area was deserted. It was a wet, cold midweek day in early February, and daylight was rapidly fading. So, we found a suitable spot just outside of the car park to pitch up for the night.

Considering the amount of rain that had fallen recently, the River Affric wasn’t as wild as we had expected.

The rain had eased off, but I was wet. Well, the bits that weren’t covered by my fleece were wet. I love my Equafleece as it is waterproof and keeps me warm.

The tent was erected in no time flat. We were sheltered from the wind as we were in the trees, so my human left the guy ropes unpegged while we dried off. He took my wet fleece off, rubbed me down, and put my dry fleece on. I have a sleep mat that insulates me from the cold ground, and he wraps me up in his waterproof coat. I soon snuggled down into the warmth while he changed into his night clothes. My human wears merino wool baselayers in the winter when we are in the tent. He always wears his down jacket once he has done all his chores. Meanwhile, I was snoring while he inflated his sleep mat and pillow.

The temperature dropped rapidly as night drew in. My human slid into his sleeping bag and put his down jacket and woolly hat on while he went to collect water from the river. I watched him from the comfort of the tent as he filled his water filter and a couple of small pouches with ice cold water. When he returned to the tent, he was complaining that his little tootsies were frozen. At least he was wearing Crocs to get around camp. I am always expected to walk in any conditions in bare paws!

My human gave me a few slices of ham and a dog chew to munch on while he prepared himself a cup of coffee. Once we had chilled out, he rehydrated a camping meal, pasta bolognese, and a bowl of semolina as the snow started to fall. After his meal, he settled down into his sleeping bag and ensured that I was tucked up and warm in my little nest.

It was only around 8 pm, but there wasn’t much that we could do as it was dark and the temperature was already -3⁰C. So, it was goodnight and try to sleep.

It had been a short day of hiking and mostly in woodland with very few views. The weather hadn’t been great but we expected that. The next few days, in contrast, we would experience glorious weather and mind-blowing scenery. We were excited!

The next few days of our trip will be posted separately. We hope that you enjoy reading our Glen Affric adventure. Till next time!